Reasons for referral to gold clinic (n = 81)
| Category | No. (%) |
|---|---|
| 1. Failure of regular DMARD | 54 (67) |
| 2. DMARD options limited due to: | 50 (62) |
| Liver disease | 34 (42) |
| Sulfa allergy | 7 (9) |
| High alcohol consumption | 5 (6) |
| Planned pregnancy | 4 (5) |
| 3. Failure of biologics | 3 (4) |
| 4. Inappropriate for biologics | 7 (9) |
| 5. Previous benefit on gold | 10 (12) |
| 6. Benefit from clinic support and monitoring | 10 (12) |
| 7. Patient choice | 4 (5) |
| 8. Physician choice | 12 (15) |
DMARD: disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. Some patients fit into > 1 category.